Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What statistics are available on the incidence of adoption by same-sex couples where blood line is a consideration; and
	What statistics are available on the incidence of male same-sex couple adoption of (a) boy children, and (b) girl children and
	What statistics are available on the incidenceof female same-sex couple adoption of (a) boy children, and (b) girl children.

Lord James of Blackheath: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in their continuing investigation onthe transit of turkeys between Hungary and the United Kingdom, they have ensured that no contaminated meat was sent from the United Kingdom to Hungary for processing and packaging and that no resulting finished product was then returned to the United Kingdom market.

Lord Rooker: No products were sent from the Bernard Mathews Limited Foods premises in Holton to Hungary for packaging.
	The only products imported from Hungary by Bernard Mathews Limited Foods to the Holton premises during the risk period were turkey breasts. The products came from two turkey slaughterhouses in Hungary:
	Saga Foods Zrt, 9600 Sarvar, Soproni u. 15, Hungary, Approval No. HU-109 Gallfood Pulykafeldogozo es, Ertekesito Kft, Kecskemet, Cegledi ut 11, Hungary, Approval No. HU-106
	Saga is in Sarvar in north-west Hungary and Gallfood is in Kecskemet which is 50 kilometres outside the current restricted avian flu zone.
	The final Food Standards Agency-led report into the possible transmission of H5N1 avian influenza virus from imported Hungarian turkey meat to the UK was published on 16 February. Copies are available in the Library of the House. It concluded that there is no evidence that any meat has entered the UK food chain from the restricted zones in Hungary and that all food importing and processing activities undertaken were in line with EC law. It found that the risk to workers, in around the Bernard Mathews food plant, was very low.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The most recent available information is in the table.
	
		
			 Income Support Claimants in the London Government Office Region by Statistical Group, as at August 2006. 
			 All IS Claimants 375,100 
			 Incapacity Benefits 182,640 
			 Lone Parents 164,180 
			 Carers 10,230 
			 Others on Income Related Benefit 18,050 
			 Notes:  
			 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10; totals may not sum due to rounding. 
			 2. "Incapacity benefits" includes those claiming Incapacity Benefit (IB) or Severe Disablement Allowance, including IB credits-only cases. 
			 3. "Lone Parents" are single claimants with a child under 16 and who are not claiming incapacity benefits. 
			 4. "Carers" are claimants receiving Carers Allowance and who are not claiming incapacity benefits, and are not lone parents. 
			 5. "Others" are those not included in the above categories. 
			 6. Figures exclude residual Minimum Income Guarantee claimants. 
			 Source: DWP 100 per cent Work & Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 26 February (WA 284—5), why the stock letter states that an otherwise stateless British Dependent Territories citizen may be eligible for British overseas citizenship, when Article 6(1) granted British overseas citizenship to all such persons automatically; and whether they will update the wording of the stock letter to reflect the policy set out in paragraph 25 of the nationality provisions of the Hong Kong Act 1985, Cmnd. 9637, laid before Parliament in October 1985.

Lord Triesman: The stock letter was drafted to reflect the provisionin the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997 regarding eligibility to become a British overseas citizen. This provision of the Act only applied to those who were left stateless on 1 July 1997. The stock letter has now been reviewed and amended in light of the amendments to Nepalese nationality law.

Lord Razzall: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of whether the framework agreement for phase 2 funding fromthe Low Carbon Building Programme is anti-competitive.

Lord Truscott: The tender process for the framework agreementwas competitive and transparent, in line with EU procedures. For each technology supported under Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 2, there are three suppliers, ensuring that there is still an element of competition within the framework.
	Public and charitable organisations remain at liberty to purchase microgeneration technologies from any company, and may be eligible to apply for grants under Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase 1. They will not be able to access the capital grants available under phase 2 if they do not wish to purchase technologies from framework agreement suppliers.

Lord Razzall: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of whether the decision to restrict to seven companies access to the phase 2 funding from the Low Carbon Building Programme will increase the cost of the installation of micro-generation systems in the public sector.

Lord Truscott: The micro-generation industry has consistently informed us that lack of certainty regarding future volumes is prohibiting the investments in the supply chain that are required to drive costs down. After consultation with industry representatives, we determined that to get the investment in the supply chain required to drive costs down and the micro-generation industry forward, greater certainty about future demand is required. A framework agreement was developed whereby customers would receive grants where installations were undertaken by specific suppliers. The aim is that investments made in the supply chain by those companies will benefit the industry as a whole and lower prices will filter across to all.
	Tenders from prospective framework suppliers were chosen on the basis of offering best value for money and we consider that the approach taken should ensure that the programme will lower the costs of micro-generation to the public sector in the short term, with those price reductions hopefully spreading to the wider market over the long term. DTI will be monitoring the price of installations undertaken throughout the programme.

Lord Razzall: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will review the existence of the framework agreement for phase 2 funding from the Low Carbon Building Programme, with a view to opening phase 2 funding to all accredited micro-generation installers.

Lord Truscott: The aim of phase 2 of the Low Carbon Building Programme is to achieve reductions in the costs of micro-generation products, against a 2005 baseline, by stimulating the industry through the guaranteed demand provided by the £50 million of capital grant funding announced in Budget 2006.
	A key barrier to widespread uptake of micro-generation products is the upfront cost of installations. The industry has consistently informed us that lack of certainty regarding future volumes is prohibiting the investments in the supply chain that are required to drive costs down. After consultation with industry representatives, we determined that to get the investment in the supply chain required to drive costs down and the micro-generation industry forward, greater certainty about future demand is required. A framework agreement was developed which provides seven lead contractors, chosen through a competitive process, with this greater certainty of demand. The aim is that investments made in the supply chain by those companies will benefit the industry as a whole and lower prices will filter across to all.
	Framework suppliers are able to sub-contract the provision of their services to other installers. To date, we have been notified of 49 sub-contractors, and we expect that this list may grow.
	We see no need to review the framework agreement at present.

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the likely impact of the Environmental Noise Directive on effective co-ordination with local and regional development and transport plans; and what resources they will make available for local and regional implementation of action on noise.

Lord Rooker: Existing guidance already describes how the control of environmental noise is to be co-ordinated with development and transport plans. This is set outin Policy Planning Statement 1 on Planning for Sustainable Development; Planning Policy Guidance 13 on Transport; Guidance on Local Transport Plans; and Planning Policy Guidance 24 on Planning and Noise. The Government intend to produce further guidance on the development of Environmental Noise Directive action plans later in the year.
	Resources will be determined through future national budgeting rounds.

Baroness Quin: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 30 January (WA 36), what action they have taken, or propose to take, to monitor the spending of the £17 million capital provision for dual x-ray absorptiometer (DXA) scanning equipment to ensure it is used for this purpose; and
	What information they hold on the number, and geographical location, of primary care trustsin England which routinely offer dual x-ray absorptiometer (DXA) bone scans to women patients when they reach the age of 60.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The capital provision of £17 million to improve National Health Service capacity in dual x-ray absorptiometer (DXA) scanning provision has mainly been included in strategic health authorities' (SHA) strategic capital allocation and is not ring-fenced. The department does not monitor how SHA strategic capital is spent.
	Information on the number and geographical location of primary care trusts routinely offering DXA scans to women patients when they reach 60 is not available centrally.

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the recently published consultation paper from the Government of Guernsey in relation to the regulation of medicines; whether they will respond to that consultation; and whether they will request that the Guernsey authorities end the trade in marketing unlicensed medicinesto United Kingdom mainland consumers; and
	What resources the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Food Standards Agency have available to deploy in relation to the export to United Kingdom mainland consumers of unlicensed medicines and illegal food supplements by companies based in the Channel Islands; and whether they have proposals to strengthen the level of enforcement action by those agencies.

Lord Drayson: When the divisional temporary detention facility (DTDF) at Shaibah logistics base closes it will be replaced by a divisional internment facility at basra air station. Iraqi security forces have been assisting in the detention of individuals since mid-December 2006. Their assistance has been predominantly in the provision of cordons and the securing of the area of operation. The Iraqis do not have the power to intern individuals, so are only able to conduct strike operations against criminals for prosecution in Iraqi courts. As they have no powers to intern, there is no scope for a joint internment facility.

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the projected growth in passenger numbers using InterCity rail services shown in the forthcoming high level output statement for the next 10 years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The projected growth in passenger numbers is still being evaluated as part of the preparation of the forthcoming high level output specification and longer term rail strategy. The evaluation looks more widely at the growth on long distance routes between major cities, rather than at the growth on the former British Rail InterCity network. The forecast demand varies considerably by route. An annual passenger km growth rate of between 2.3 per cent and 3.2 per cent is currently forecast across the long distance network over the next 10 years

Lord Adonis: In 2006, 579,113 pupils in maintained mainstream schools1 at the end of key stage 42 attempted one or more GCSEs.
	1 Includes community schools, voluntary-aided schools, voluntary controlled schools, foundation schools, city technology colleges and academies.
	2 Pupils at the end of key stage 4 in the 2005-06 academic year.

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the contacts with Sky TV by Damien McBride on the question of discussions on the Autumn Statement were authorised in accordance with the guidance on government communications and in compliance with paragraph 13 and paragraph 4 sub-paragraph IX of the Code of Conduct for special advisers; and
	Whether the departmental director of communications at HM Treasury was informed by Mr Damien McBride of his statement made to Sky TV on the Autumn Statement and in compliance with paragraph 13 of the Code of Conduct for special advisers; and
	Whether the departmental director of communications at HM Treasury exercises day-to-day responsibility for the overall management of the press and publicity activities of all special advisers in H M Treasury, in compliance with paragraph 13 of the Code of Conduct for special advisers; and
	Whether contacts between Mr Damien McBride and Sky TV on the question of potential interviewees on the Autumn Statement favoured or discriminated against particular individuals; and whether the contacts that took place were in compliance with paragraphs 12 and 13 of the Civil Service Code.